News

Apr 11, 2016

New MyHydro tools deliver billing, usage data for multiple accounts

For single & multiple accounts, export centre will save you a ton of time

More than 27,000 small businesses across B.C. use MyHydro to keep track of their electricity consumption – including 7,000 who have multiple accounts. Until recently though, those 7,000 commercial customers could only export billing and consumption data one account at a time.

That was a time-consuming task we had to eliminate.

"Our strategy is grounded in making business with BC Hydro easier for customers," says Greg Stanway, manager of customer strategy. "We realized in a number of areas that we were making customers work harder than they needed to. Getting easy access to timely, accurate customer data was one of those areas."

The new functionality, which allows you to export billing and/or electricity use data from multiple accounts at one time, has already proved popular since its introduction at the end of January 2016. It's a sign that those with multiple accounts are hungry for detailed data about their electricity consumption.

How it works, a step-by-step breakdown

Once you're logged in, mouse over the Manage Account area in the top right of the MyHydro landing page. You'll be able to spot Data Export Centre in the dropdown menu that appears, and you can go there to request the data you need, from as many accounts as you wish.

Depending on your customer type*, electricity use data is available in various increments: every five minutes, hourly, daily or monthly. You can also set a desired export period. For example, you can study your electricity use during a specific date range – such as the busy holiday season.. You can also access up to three years of history in a single export. Some export requests are produced right away, while larger requests will be completed and ready for review within 24 hours.

Set it and forget it: recurring requests easy to set-up

Those requesting consolidated billing exports can also set-up a recurring request. For example, if you'd like to export your billing data at the end of every month, create a recurring request and a notification will be sent to you when the report is ready. Also, with a swift click of the mouse, you can allow a trusted third party – such as your accountant or bookkeeper – to create data exports on your behalf.

"When it comes to managing energy, knowledge and information are power," says Stanway. "Providing raw data is helpful because it gives our customers insight into their consumption patterns. When you know your peak consumption days and times, it's much easier to develop an action plan."

For more information about MyHydro, or how to save energy using your electricity use history, meet with a Business Energy Advisor. There are eight Business Energy Advisors readily available across B.C. To request a free energy consultation, submit an energy consultation request. For more information on the program, call the business helpdesk at 1 866 522 4713.

*Medium General Service and Large General Service customers are eligible for data in 5-minute intervals.